Road map holder



1, 1931. E P. THOMPSON ROAD MAP HOLDER Filed Sept. 10. 1930 E. P Tlaam usan iatented Esta-1, 1931 j .EDWARD" P. THOMPSON, F CRESGO, rowA PATENT 1, OFFICE;

' noAii MA]? HOLDER Application filed September 10, 1930. semi No..48 1,046'.

This invention relates to road map holders and has for an 'objectto provide a novel holder adapted to be clamped to the steering post'of an automobile and hold the road map i at such an angle as to be comfortably viewed through the steering'wheel so that the driver side thereofa'dapted 'toslidably receive themay at all times watch the road while at the same time being able to refer to the road map at all times.

A stillfurther object of the invention is to provide a road map holder having a resilient S-shaped support and guide on the socket of a six-volt incandescent lamp and hold the same at any adjusted position longitudinally of the side of theholder so that at night the road map may be effectively illuminated, While at the same time the'li'ght is shielded from the drivers eyes. v

A still further object'of the invention is toprovide a road map holder having a novel three-piece clamp which maybe easily and quickly applied to and removed from the steering post and will embody, diverging arms which'are rivet'edor otherwise r gldly fixed to. the back plate of the holder and shape.

bra cethe back plate against'being bent out of With the above and other objects in View s the invention consists in certainnov'el details of construction. and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that variousmodi- 'fications may be resorted to within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad- 7 vantages of the invention,

In the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a perspectlve view of my im proved. road map "holder applied to a steering post,

Fig. 2 is. a bottom plan view of the holder showing the steering post clamp with diverging arms,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View through the road map holder showing an incandescent lamp in the lamp support, and

Fig. 4: is a cross sectional View through the road map holder with the steering post clamp removed. Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, 1Ov designates an automobile steering post and 11 the steering wheel. v H

In carrying out the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 provide a backplate 12 preferably formedof metal and provided at 0 the sides withinturned flanges l3 and'at the bottom with an inturned flange 14, the latter forming a'ledge which coac-ts with the side flanges 13 to hold a road map 15.

Theroad map may be of the usual folded 7 type or may consist of a stack'of separate, cards, the uppermost of which may be re moved and placed on the bottom of the stack in the holder as the tour progresses, or in fact may be of any desired type. 7'

The holder is secured to the steering post by means of a clamp comprising a curved bridge member 16 and curved side members. 17, the latter cooperating with the former to encircle the post. Screws 18 or similar connectors form means for securing the clamp to the post. The side members 17 'are'bent outwardly at their junctures with the back plate 15, as shown at 19, and from thence are directed outwardly to diverge and bear upon the back plate'diagonally across the lower corners thereof, as best shown at 20in Fig. 2. These diverging arms 20 are preferably riveted, as shown at 21, or may be otherwise fixed 1 to the back plate.

' The steering post clamp, constructed as above described, is preferably formed of strap metal; It will beparticularly pointed out that the diverging arms 20'reinforce the back plate 12 against being bent out of shape and also stiffen the plate'to resistvibration so that the roadmap'will be at all times held steady so as to be conveniently read through the steering wheel without tiring the operators eyes. It willbe furthei pointed out thatlthe clamp, constructed as above described, maintains the back plate to extend'above and substantiallyat a right angleto theinclined blank of strip metal bent upon itself, as shown in Figs. .1 and One arm of the lampholder is preferably brazed or other W1se rigidly fixed to said side flange. The holder is of such length as to extend for a considerable dis tance longitudinally of the side flange. The inner diameter of the holder is such that the cylindrical socket 23 of a si:;volt incandescent lamp 24 may be frictionally held therein at any desired position longitudinally of the lamp holder. Thus the lamp maybe adjusted longitudinally of the holder to effectively illuminate the road map. The conductor wires 25 of the lamp form means for pushing or pulling the lamp longitudinally of the holder to adjust the lamp to any desired position in the lamp holder.

It will be observed that While one arm of the S-shaped lamp holder is rigidly secured to one side flange of the road map holder, the opposite arm is free and in addition to being resilient and thereby holding the lamp socket frictionally at any desired adjusted position, this arm forms a shield over the lamp which houses the lamp so that the direct rays therefrom will be cast across the road mapJand Will be masked from the drivers eyes at all times. 7

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of my invention will be easily understood without further explanation. I

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A road map holder including aback plate, marginal means on the back plate for securing a road map thereto, a clamp having diverging arms fixedly secured to said back plate on the rear face thereof and extending diagonally across the corners of the plate, said arms terminating in curved portions adapted to embrace a steering post, and'a bridge piece connecting said curved portions and adapted to clamp the same to said steering post. j

i 2. A road map holder comprising a back plate having the bottom and side edges bent inwardly to provide map retaining flanges, a clamp for securing the holder at substantially a right angle to a steering post and comprising diverging arms riveted to the back plate and extending obliquely across the lower corners thereof from substantially the centerof the lower edge of the back plate, and curved members for attaching said arms to asteering post and position the arms to extend at substantially a right angle to the steering post so that the road map may be viewed through the steering Wheel. 7

3. A road map holder comprising a back plate for supporting the road map, a clamp adapted to embrace a steering post of an automobile, said clamp having diverging arms rigidly secured to and reinforcing the back plate against bending, said clamp eX- tending'in the plane-of the back plate Whereby to position the back plate at substantially a rightangle to and above the steering post so that the road map may be Viewed through the steering Wheel, and a lamp holder disposed laterally on the back plate and adapted to illuminate the road map from the side thereof.

. 4:. A road map holder including a back plate adapted to support a road map, a clamp carried by the back plate and adapted to embrace a steering post, said clamp having diverging arms secured to the back plate and reinforcing the back plate against bending, said arms also disposing the back plate at substantially a right angle to and above the steering post, and an S-shaped incandescent lamp holder fixed to one side of said back plate, said lamp holder being resilient and being adapted to frictionally hold an incandescent lamp socket in various adjusted positions longitudinally of the lamp holder,

said lamp holder having the upper portion thereof forming a mask to shield the drivers eyes from the direct rays of the lamp.

' 5. A road map holder comprising a back plate having a ledge and lateral flanges Which 'coact in retaining a road map thereon, a

clampcarried by the back plate and adapted to secure the back plate to a steering post at substantially a right angle to and above the steering post, and a reversed semi-tubular substantially S-shaped incandescent lamp holderhaving one arm rigidly secured to one ofsaidside flanges, said lamp holder being resilient whereby to Vfrictionally engage the socket of the incandescent lamp and hold the lamp in various adjusted positions longitudinally ofthe lamp holder, the free arm of said lamp holder forming a mask to shield the drivers eyes from the direct rays of the incandescent lamp, said holder being open at the side toward the road map Whereby the road map is illuminated transversely of its surface. by said lamp.

In testimony whereof I airlx my signature.

EDWARD P. THOMPSON. 1,. 3. 

